Olive and Asiago Rolls

This Olive and Asiago Rolls recipe is from Cooking Light. I hadn’t made it in years, but it seemed like a good bread for Valentine’s Day and sure enough, it was a hit with Fuzz who said the flavors reminded her of Italy.

I followed the recipe as written, but halved it and used dried rosemary leaves in place of the oregano and shredded Parmesan in place of the Asiago.

Update: Here’s the original recipe for the Rolls. Over the years I’ve made these many times, but I almost always use quick rising yeast and a different mixing method. Also, I sometimes halve the recipe and make 8.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, yeast, and all but 1 cup of the bread flour. Stir well.

Add the water, milk, oregano and olive oil. Gradually add remaining flour until you have a dough that is not too sticky to knead. Attach dough hook to mixer and let the machine knead for about 6 minutes or until smooth an elastic. If kneading by hand, it might take up to 10 minutes.

Transfer to an oiled bowl and let rise, covered, in a warm place (85°) free of drafts. With the quick yeast this should take about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°. Punch dough down and divide into 16 portions. Roll each portion into a 2-inch ball and place on baking sheets (or in 9x13 inch pans) coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Cut a 1/4-inch-deep "X" in the top of each roll. Combine water and egg white; brush over rolls. Bake at 375° for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with cheese. Serve warm.